I’m a gunslinger by background, or at least I fancy myself the sort. I still wear my pistols low these days, just not quite as low as in the day. l live, nonetheless, today as I have always lived—by the sword. And you know what living by the sword means. That’s right, it means being […]
Special Operations
Delta Force’s James Nelson Sudderth – Conan the Barbarian
Prologue:There a two men who I credit, or blame, for bringing me to the Delta Force from my state of uncertainty and lack of self-confidence: James Nelson Sudderth and Matthew Loren Rierson. Both are departed. Both deliberately approached me and asked me to come to Delta Force. First it was Matt who asked me ‘when […]
The time my Special Forces team accidentally burned down a Korean forest (Pt.2)
Note: This is part of a series. Read part one here. Dawn cracks in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and 10,000 roosters crow. My auditory senses are awakened. I stare at the olive drab of the tent canvas above my cot. Visual acquisition and, wait for it…wait for it…ah, there it is—olfactory perforation by rotton […]
The time my Special Forces team accidentally burned down a Korean forest (Pt.1)
I was a grunt, a ground-pounder, a door-kicker, a knuckle-dragger, a dog face, and a devil dog. I’ve been dogged-out and dog-tired, I’ve rucked until my dogs were barkin’ while it rained cats and dogs. I’ve had a dog in the fight, lived a dog’s life, gone to the dogs, been in the doghouse, and […]
Ranger regiment testing new rucksacks for Airborne Operations
The 75th Ranger Regiment is working with the U.S. Army Operational Test Command’s (OTC) Airborne and Special Operations Test Directorate (ABNSOTD) based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to put some new rucksacks through their paces during airborne operations. The Rangers are testing out three different rucksacks that are produced by Mystery Ranch Mountain Backpacks, a […]
SERE School from the perspective of a Delta Operator: Surviving as prisoner of war
While taking part in a training course for a special mission, I understood that I would be attending SERE school at some point during the six-month course, though I didn’t really know when. Our SERE training was split into an administrative phase of classroom training, followed by a no-notice internment phase in a prisoner-of-war camp… […]
Crash course in Close Quarters Battle: Doors and Thresholds
Previously, we discussed how various room angles and room dimensions shape the choice of room-clearing tactics you use. But in every scenario, it was assumed you would be entering a room that has its doors open. In part 3 of this series, Eli focuses on the tactics of room clearing when the doors are closed. […]
Special Operations reading list: A few of my favorite hidden gems
I love reading about Special Operations history. It’s amazing what information can be found in published sources if you’re prepared to dig around. There’s a whole hidden history that can only be compiled by doing some deep research and really looking for sources. Thankfully, some former operators penned books that are well worth tracking down. […]
How two Delta Force jumpers collided at 24,000 feet in accelerated free fall and lived
“The sky, even more than the sea, is terribly unforgiving for even the slightest mistake.” (Author Unknown) Let’s get one thing straight: I hate jumping. Don’t get me wrong, the whole concept and execution is sexy enough, but I was simply cursed with a wicked bout of acrophobia. Two or three days prior to an […]
Israeli special operator’s top unwritten rules of close-quarters combat (Part 3)
You can find Part 1 of this series here. You can find Part 2 of this series here. This article is neither about a specific rule nor specific ways of doing specific things. Like anything in life there are dozens of paths to one destination, it´s all about efficiency and safety that sets the difference. […]